My life changed forever when I met your son. He was kind, carefree, loving and passionate. He taught me how to live my life to the fullest and he showed me what it meant to live. December 16 will forever have a different meaning to it—it will forever be a day of heart-ache and mourning but also a time to celebrate a life taken to soon. As a friend, I had a different relationship with you son but he meant so much to us both so I just want to say:

Thank you.

Thank you for sharing one of the most important people in your life with me. The pain you feel on during the month of may must be unbearable. Mother's Day and birthdays are two holidays that fill you with joy and instead fill you with sorrow.

I wish I had the words to express my sorrow for your loss. I wish I had the words to express the gratitude I have for such a wonderful friend you gifted me with. Your child was a blessing to me and for that I thank you. I wish I would have come around more when the tragic event took place, that will always be one of my biggest regret. I didn't know how to comfort myself, and it did not feel right to grieve in front of you when your hurt was one I could never imagine. I remember the smile on your face when I shared stories of Grayson with you and the impact he had on my life. The joy you felt in moments of pure love for your son is something I can never forget. I wish I could have been there to hug you but instead I kept my distance and that will always be something I wish I could take back. I was only 16 and I didn't know how to deal with death. I avoided anything that I emotionally couldn't handle

As I sit here three years later, I still don't understand how someone so lively could be taken so young. I will always remember the way he was able to light up a room just by walking in. The memories I shared with him in the short years of friendship are ones I will always cherish. The young man you raised touched me and has left a permanent mark on my heart, among many others.

As I reminisce over the memories I shared with him in the few years we knew each other, there are so many I will carry with me for the rest of my life. He was always protective over me and he always did everything you can to make sure that I knew you cared for me.

Your son was an amazing young man who lived a short life, but he left behind a legacy. I hope in your time of healing you know that as much as he loved the attention, he would have wanted us to rejoice in the life he lived and enjoy the time we spent with him.

Through the years after his passing I have watched you grow as a person. You were always strong, I admired that, but you have become even stronger. I have watched you cope with something no mother should have to go through. I am thankful for the time I got to spend with you and be around you and I am thankful for the time I got to spend with Grayson. His legacy will forever live on inside my heart and I will never let him fade.

There is so much more I could say but I mostly wanted to thank you for allowing me to love your son and allowing him to love me. He was an amazing person, and I know you're proud of the boy you raised, as you should be. I hope you never feel alone in your grief because I know everyone in the community was and is grief stricken. Some days are still harder than others, however, I hope when you feel down and need a pick-me-up, you call one of his friends and ask for a memory. His legacy will live through me, through you and through others. I hope you never forget that although his life was short the amount of love he spread was bountiful. Your son was a reflection of you and the loving, kind-spirited person you are. I'm so thankful to have been apart of both of your lives.

With all my love,

A Daughter at Heart

In loving memory of Grayson Weeks

5/13/96—12/16/12